Ch1: Prologue

DPOV

After being told by Janine that she and Abe now embraced and blessed my engagement with Rose, we returned to the common room. As soon as we sat down, chatter about wedding plans restarted. Rose looked at me meaningfully, "how about in a month? I don't
doubt Liss can pull it off. And Yeva's right, I do desperately want and need to be married to you. I love you. So, what do you say? Set the date for a month's time?"

"Oh Roza, I never thought I'd hear that from you. Yes. If you are so sure you're ready, yes."

I couldn't wait to be married to her. It was a dream I'd only allowed myself to have after the cabin. Once I'd found the best solution for us to be together at all, only then had I dared to dream the dreams humans and Moroi had the freedom of doing so
without a second thought. I didn't want to rush her though. I never wanted to rush her in anything that was us related.

"Yay!" An excited grin split her face. "And yes. I am certain I'm ready. You aren't rushing me, Dimitri. I want this. I want you, to be with you for forever. I want to be yours legally and the other way around because I love you so much."

I also didn't doubt that she still felt threatened by Tasha. I wasn't going to love her any less because she wanted to be rid of that insecurity. My eyes and heart were only for her. And marrying her was the ultimate way to say that to her, to dedicate
myself to her for the rest of forever.

"You're not going to hear a complaint here. Marrying you," I sighed happily with a lovesick grin on my face. "Is a more than a dream come true." Understanding, love, and compassion lit her face.

"Because of all we've been through and what was meant to be in our way."

"There you go again! Cut it out, Roza!" I laughed, playfully chastising her. Quickly pulling her into a kiss.

That, her ability to scare me shitless thanks to reading me, had now become a running joke between us. It was something we could both do to each other, force the other open, and it was one of the things we took seriously as an indication of being soulmate's.
But it was also something we happily exploited when it happened because it meant our connection was still in tact, that our love hadn't faded. We threw it around teasingly and sarcastically, with the real message being that we never wanted that to
stop.

Our moment was broken by Lissa. Who was repetitively asking Rose about a date for the wedding.

"A month. Lissa, you have a month maximum to pull this together for us," Rose stated with a serious look on her face but a grin in her eyes. Lissa nodded and agreed to the challenge with a grin and squeal.

Tasha scowled but held her tongue. Clearly not liking that Rose was getting me and disapproving of the age Rose was marrying me at. At least that's what I was assuming the older Moroi woman was sour about.

Abe, Janine, Alberta and the women in my family all sent approving soft smiles our way. They wanted us happy. Clearly. And were obviously contented to run with our decisions.

"Next biggest question, lovebirds," started Lissa. "Where?"

Rose and I took one look at each other and immediately knew where. There was only one place that held so many memories, that held the meaning and significance we wanted. The place it all began. The general location where we'd given up fighting the attraction,
the love. Where everything had first built.

"The Academy," we sang in unison. Astonished looks shone on everyone's faces.

"Why? Why the Academy?" asked Janine.

"Why not?" I responded with a shrug. "It's the one place that holds so much significance, while also providing so much security. All the best of our memories are there, it's where most of Roza's memories in general are. It's meaningful and easy enough
to secure since measures are already in place."

It, simply put, is the ideal choice both emotionally and strategically. Slowly, everyone agreed with the reasoning. But before further plans could be made, Lissa decided to ring Tatiana to first get her approval. That call lasted all of five minutes with
response being a yes. That immediately shot Alberta into action, ringing Kirova. Both calls occurred in the common room with the phones on speaker.

"Yes Petrov?" Kirova greeted.

"Headmistress, I have a request on behalf of Belikov and Rose."

"I thought I was done with that girl the moment she was marked." A sigh was let out before continuing. Rose rolled her eyes at Kirova's attitude. "What do they want now?"

A grin split the guardian captain's face as she answered. "They want to get married in the school's chapel."

"The-?! The-?! What? They what?!" Kirova lost her composure as she spluttered in shock. The St Vladimir's lot were holding in hysterics.

"They want to get married in the school's chapel," slowly repeated an amused Alberta, enunciating each word. "In a month."

"What!" the headmistress screeched.

"The Queen has approved of Rose marrying Belikov, and they want to use the school's chapel to do so."

What came out of Kirova's mouth next entertained us all. "I knew those two were up to something. Are they really that head over heals and involved?"

"Yes. They are."

"Fine," Kirova eventually sighed. "Consider it done. I owe them both too much after the attack and rescue to say no." The next bit was muttered under her breath, "can't believe them, or that I just agreed to host the most historical and controversial
wedding ever."

"Thanks Headmistress. I'll sort out security when I return from Court." Alberta quickly hung up and the room exploded with laughter.

When that settled down, Rose asked, "okay. Back to business. Who's reading the start of Frostbite?"

"Me!" exclaimed Eddie.

My fiancé picked up the book and threw it to him.

"Things die. But they don't always stay dead. Believe me, I know." Eddie started reading.

A tense silence wrapped around the group. I pulled my Roza into my side and kissed her temple, trying to reassure her we'd get through this book together. That I was here and that I loved her. That I appreciated her still being alive and in my arms. She
let out a contented sigh as she snuggled in closer while her friend continued reading. The sound and action was angelic and beautiful. She was. Enough said.

"I love you, woman," I whispered in her ear. She shivered in response.

"I love you, Comrade. So much."

"Now you've done it!" I growled playfully and lustfully in her ear before kissing her passionately.

The world disappeared to one of our own, and we entered our own time zone. It always did. And it likely always would. I eventually pulled my Roza onto my lap. She straddled me as we kept kissing, and kissing, and kissing. Her hands tugged at my hair every
time she deepened the kiss, at which times I squeezed her hips or waist then pulled her closer to me. Each time, she'd kiss me harder after softly moaning against my lips. Her fingers trailed up and down my chest and torso, often eliciting a growl
against her mouth as she dug her nails into my back. I yearned for her, every place she touched set my soul and skin on fire.

Laughter and snickers eventually broke through our heated moment and haze.

"That worked!" remarked Christian.

"Totally worked!" Vika agreed.

"Not like you two were just all over each other!" laughed Adrian.

"'Checking each other out'? Who do you think you were fooling Rosie Posie?" sarcastically commented Eddie. "You two can't keep your hands off each other.. Or your tongues in your own mouths."

"Just read," sighed Rose.

"I haven't had much luck in getting over him."

"Clearly!" snorted Tasha. The rest of us ignored her as Eddie read on.

"And I'm pretty sure he still feels the same about me."

"Absolutely," I growled in Rose's ear.

"Part of what makes it so difficult is that he and I got pretty hot and heavy when we got hit with the lust spell."

"You get hurl-worthy hot and heavy without it, too," noted Abe, rather uncomfortably. Which was understandable given this was his daughter and her ex mentor he was talking about.

Eddie continued after everyone muttered their agreement. "Victor had wanted to distract us while he kidnapped Lissa, and it had worked. I'd been ready to give up my virginity, and Dimitri had been ready to take it

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"Eventually I got it, and will always value it," I murmured lovingly in my soulmate's ear. Meanwhile, Tasha sent an incredulous and disbelieving look Roza's way.

"What can I say, Tasha? I valued my innocence."

Tasha caught the past tense and glared. "You took her? She took you? When?" The jealousy sent Roza's way and disapproval sent my way was clear. To everyone.

"Yes, yes, spoilers and get over it Tasha," I responded.

"Read, Eddie!" instructed Roza.

"At the last minute, we broke the spell, but those memories are always with me and make it hard to focus on combat moves sometimes."

"Are you sure it wasn't all the time?" teased Alberta. "Because over the past few days I've seen no evidence of you two knowing how to do anything but make out."

"Alberta!" Rose groaned in embarrassment. "Not funny. Read, Eddie."

"By the way, my name's Rose Hathaway. I'm seventeen years old, training to protect and

style="font-style: italic; font-size: 22pt;"kill vampires, in love with a completely unsuitable guy, and have a best friend whose weird magic could drive her crazy.

"Hey, no one said high school was easy." Laughter echoed around the room at that dramatic finish.

No one said teaching in a high school was easy either.